1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot system including a machine and a robot using CNC.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, systems have been proposed for automating processes of production by linking machine tools or other machines using CNC (computer numerical control) with robots. Such automated systems enable an increase of the amount of production without increasing the number of workers at the factory. These are proactively introduced when redesigning parts of manufacture processes to increase the amount of production, when building new factories, etc.
In the manufacture processes operated by such automated systems, sometimes a robot is checked for status and operated from a streamlined control panel of a PLC (programmable logic controller) of the factory or a GUI (graphical user interface) of a display of a using CNC machine using CNC. Due to this, the worker at the factory can concentrate on the operation of the using CNC machine using CNC, for example, a machine tool, or can perform other works in parallel with processing by the machine.
For example, the patent literature Japanese Patent Publication No. H06-149329A discloses that a machine tool operates so as to edit and start up a robot program and to jog a robot. However, Japanese Patent Publication No. H06-149329A does not particularly describe any desired screen interfaces for the machine operation. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-277425A discloses a processing system equipped with a screen GUI of the teach pendant of the robot for operating a machine tool. Due to this, the operator can check the status of the machine tool and can control a part of the operations of the machine tool from the robot.
For a factory worker, robots are classified into two types. One type of robot directly processes a product. For this reason, the amount of production and the quality of each product depend on the performance and the application method of the robot. The other type of robot does auxiliary works, for example, picks and places a workpiece, changes tools for itself or a machine automatically, or washes workpieces or tools in the production process. In this case, a machine tool or some machines process the product.
As the former application examples, there are the robot arc welding for a machine part and the robot spot welding for an automobile chassis manufacture process. In these cases, unless operating the robot as intended, some quality problems are liable to occur and large amounts of defect products may be produced. Therefore, a worker of a factory is motivated to carefully study the methods to operate the robot. Further, a manager of the worker tends to willingly assign a sufficient time to study the robot operation during working hours.
In the latter case, the situation differs. The product is processed by a machine using CNC etc., so the worker has to accurately understand how to operate the machine and to have the sufficient knowledge of the processing itself. Further, if the worker cannot use the various functions to assist the processing in the machine operation, it is not possible to execute the processing with satisfying the desired quality and finishing it with a short time, and without reworking. For example, when using a machining center, the worker has to pay close attention to various matters such as knowledge for suitably serving the workpiece, using CAD/CAM to output some NC programs, adjusting the flow of the coolant, preparing of a suitable fixture for the workpiece, and compensating of the tool length for the worn tools.
When operating such a machine using CNC, the worker tends to feel the robot is nothing but repeating the same work under the same condition. Further, the manager of the worker interprets that the product quality is independent from the robot as long as the robot works rightly, so also tends to get the same impression.
As a result, the worker or the manager tends to conclude that it is sufficient to memorize one or two routines required for usual production operation and tends not to carefully read the instruction manual of the robot. The supplier of the robot cannot criticize for this. The reason is that if the management cost of the introduction and the operation of the robot cancels out the improvement in the factory overall productivity, the worth of introduction of the robot would be lost.
So long as the robot works rightly, no problem arises even if the worker doesn't master the robot. However, if the worker or manager needs to reevaluate the whole work of the robot in order to improve the whole processes, because of the voluminous instruction manual, finding the related explanations needs for the massive time, even if the person needs some small changes.
Further, a worker usually concentrates on various works without paying much attention to the robot. So if something happens and then the robot stops, the worker sometimes takes this as an unexpected event and would become psychologically stressed out. Furthermore, the GUI design of the robot differs from the GUI design of the machine using CNC which the worker usually uses. Therefore some human errors possibly occur during the unfamiliar work and the person may not smoothly resume the normal conditions (for human error, in particular see “The Design of Everyday Things Revised and Expanded Edition”, Donald A Norman, Chapter 4. Know what to do—constraints, discoverability, and feedback, Chapter 5. Human Error? No, Bad Design).
Some proposals have been made for switching one GUI screen of either the machine using CNC or the robot about any appearance and definitions both operations and responses. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-168020A discloses the art of switching the display state of the machine using CNC. International Publication No. WO2007/018753A discloses the art of changing the frame in the HTML (hyper text markup language) file and changing the layout of the display elements within the frame. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-051720A discloses the method of changing the key layout when the touch panel displays a user input region of keys.
In this regard, even if various methods or software can be utilized for assisting the construction of a GUI, if two GUIs are designed by different designers for different purposes and different applications, in general the final specifications of the two GUIs will greatly differ. Therefore, a worker familiar with use of one GUI would find it difficult to master the other GUI without relying on the instruction manual or guidance from a more experienced person.
To deal with such a problem, in the same way as the related art disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-149329A, there is the method that either or both the supplier of the machine using CNC and the developer of the GUI of the machine integrate a design of a GUI for operating both the machine and the robot, and provide the product including the integrated GUI. Due to this, it would become possible to operate the robot by the same ease of use as when operating the machine.
However, in this case, using CNC machine using CNC providing the integrated GUI would increase the cost of the whole machine system. Finally costumers would bear the increased cost. For this reason, in actuality, it is rare for either or both a supplier or a developer to develop an integrated GUI for operating both the machine and a robot and to provide it to customers.